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Monthly Archives: October 2011

My sister, Melissa, nephew, Puya, and Melissa’s boyfriend, David came to our house Friday night at 10:30 and spent the night. Saturday morning we took them to Athens Family Restaurant for brunch. Then we went to the Bicentennial Mall. Bicentennial Mall is one of my favorite parks, combining state history with nature’s beauty. Here are some pictures from a really fun morning.

Our local writers group, Middle Tennessee Christian Writers, has a marathon month every October. At the end of September each of us participating lists our goals for marathon month. Then we cheer each other on. It’s a month of just writing, just being creative, kicking the infernal internal editor out of the house. It’s our version of NaNoWriMo.

I’ve never met my goal before.

But I decided to set one anyway. At least it would give me something to shoot for. My goals were to attend at least one MTCW meeting for October and to add 10,000 words to my WIP. At the time I set my goals I had not attended a meeting in probably a year. I have not written 10,000 words in the past 3 or 4 years, let alone a month. But what the heck.

I made it to both October meetings. And as of yesterday at 7:45 pm I have written 10,102 words on my novel in October. Talk about Snoopy dancing. 🙂 I’m still pretty excited about it this morning.

But I can’t stop here. This is just a launching point. This is just the kind of month I needed to help me feel like a real writer again. Real writers write. Real writers have goals. And meet them most of the time.

So in the spirit of a real writer I want to share my goals for November: attend both MTCW meetings; write 15,000 words.

I think Becky’s post yesterday echoes my thoughts about The Bone House. I’m enjoying the series so far from a “what’s going to happen next” perspective. But I’ve been wondering where the typical Christian part of the story is. I read a lot of “secular” fiction so I don’t need overt Christianity in a story to enjoy it. But I think I had some kind of bias already in mind given the publisher of this series.

In the first book, The Skin Map, I didn’t like Mina too much. But I have to admit, she’s my favorite part of The Bone House. I’m anxious to see what happens to her and to the coffee-house in Prague throughout the rest of the series.

The Bone House

A BRIGHT EMPIRES NOVEL

Lawhead has embarked on his most ambitious writing project to date: the five-book BRIGHT EMPIRES series. The second volume, The Bone House, will be published in the USA on 6 September 2011.

The series is underpinned by the cutting-edge work of quantum physicists, natural philosophers, and cosmologists who describe a universe not only much greater, but also far stranger than we imagine.

Is this the future of science fiction and fantasy?

‘I have not read or written anything quite like it,’ says Lawhead. ‘It’s been forming in my mind for at least fifteen years. Now I am finally writing it, because I think I can finally do justice to such an intricately woven storyline.’

“Once again, Lawhead has penned an epic tale, putting a new spin on an old legend. Full of rich imagery, this page-turner will appeal to fans of suspense and fantasy.” – Library Journal

Love this time of year when I can open the windows and let the fresh air blow through the house. Kind of cathartic.

This seems to be a metaphor for what I’m doing in my life right now. I’m letting the fresh air of new-found health blow away some of the stale frustration, pity, and anger I’ve held onto for the past few years. I’m cleaning out the stagnant stuff and getting back to the core of me.

About two weeks ago I learned my Mom has some food allergies. Most of them pretty mild, but one not quite so mild jumped out at me-gluten. I’ve been hearing more about gluten-free diets and how much better those choosing that way of eating feel. I was a skeptic.

Not any more. I’ve been gluten-free for about a week and a half just kind of as an experiment. All I can say is W.O.W! I felt a difference within 48 hours. After eleven days I feel like a new person.

The brain fog is gone.

The dark circles under my eyes are fading.

The generalized joint and muscle pain is gone. (Except for the lower back, which is caused by arthritis.)